James eobson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, J. ROBSON.

GAS ENGINE.

1 7, Patented May-29, 1.883.

WITNESSES: J

Maw M BY ATTORNEYS.

n. PETERS, Phowumu n her. Wnhington, nc,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. ROBSON GAS ENGINE.

No. 278,600. Patented May 29,1883.

WITNESSES: O L I ATTORNEYS.

N. FEYERS, Pholvlhhogqpher, Washington. DJ;

UNITED I STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES noBsoN, OFBIRHINGHAM, GOlINTY on WARWICK, ENGLAND.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,600, dated May 29,1883.

A pplication filed December 26, 1882. (No model.) Patented in EnglandOctober 5, 1880, No. 4,050.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J AMESROBSQN, otBirmingham. England, have invented Improvementsin Obtainingand ApplyingMotive Power, ,of which the following is a specification.

My inventionof improvements in gas-em I gines consists in the followingapplication of or stamping.

explosive gases and air for producing motion in various machines, suchas pumping water or other liquids or gaseous fluids, hammering Incarrying .out my invention as applied to pumping I use a cylinder, whichmay be water-jacketed, and a piston and rod working thereinr In theouter end of this rod is attached a pump bucket or piston working in anordinary pump-barrel. Also on the rod is a cross-head, to which areattached steel volute .or other springs to absorb the energy developedbehind the piston by the explosion of a mixture of gas and air. In theexploding-cylinder is another piston and rod, moved either by hand orself-acting gear, so that when this charging-piston ismoved away fromthe main piston it draws in between these pistons a chargeof explosivegasor vaponandairthrongh aflap orother shaped valve, covering by itsface the gas and air inlets simultaneously. On this piston reaching theend of its stroke it covers an exhaust-port and uncovers a small Ihole-in the cylinders side or removes a plate away from a hole in theportway and allows a standing flame to be sucked in through the hole andfire the gases. The explosion drivesthe main piston to the other end ofthe cylinder and does work in compressing or extending springs, and atthe same time compels the water in the pump topass from one side of itspiston to theother and lift the water on its return-stroke by thepotential energy now contained in the springs. I prefer to have thesprings in an initial state'of tension at the beginning of theoperation. When used as a ram-plunger or high-pressure pump the mainpiston on its outstroke drives theram-plunger intoits case and theliquid out into the accumulator or high lift pipe. To prevent the sud-:d'eu shock from the quick motion of the explosion, 111% a small ram,loaded by similar voluteor, other springs, between the pump and theaccumulator; or an; air-vessel mightbe used to lessen the shock. Themain piston and ram are drawn back and its case charged with liquid bysprings. The charging-piston is worked by a lever and weight or springin its charging and firing stroke, and on its inward or exhaustingstroke by a spring extended and held on a catch by the motion of theoutstroke of the main piston and rod. When it completeitsinstrokeitreleases the spring from the catch and allows the weight tomake the outstroke; or the weight and Ieverof thecharg- 'ing-piston maybe lifted by a small piston .worked in a; cylinder on its upstroke bythe liquid from the accumulator or cistern and allowed to escape onitsdescent.

It may also be worked by a connecting-rod to a fly-wheel,

put in motionby hand or by the motion of the main piston and springs, Byattaching a hammer-head to the main piston-rod, instead ofa pump, it canbe used as a forging-hammer or stamper, the cylinder being vertical,with the hammer attached to'its main piston-rod. The piston is drivendown by the explosion of the gases between its upper side andthechargingpiston, the charging-piston being worked by a handleverorhand-wheel, with crank and conneotions to its rod. Thegas andairsupply and firing and exhaust being same as the pump, the hammer andmain piston are drawn up to the top by springs.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis speoifica tion, in which similar numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure A is aplan view of myimprovemenl. Fig. B is a longitudinalsectional elevation of the same. Fig. 0 is a side elevation ofamodification. Fig. D isa plan view of the same,

partly in section. Figs. E, F, G, H, I, and J aredetail views. Fig. Kisa side elevation, partly in section, of my improvement applied to'a;forging-hammer; and Fig. L is a front elevationof the same.

.1 is the cylinder; 2, the main piston, with its rod 3 connected topump-bucket 4 in its case 5, withordinary inlet-valve 6, discharge- Vvalve 7, and bucket-valve 8.

9 is the charging-piston, which, when moved back by the lever 10andweight 11, draws in between the pistons a charge of gas and air throughthe valve 12, then it covers the exhaust-port 13, and passes theigniting-port '14 I anddraws in a part of an outsideponstant springs 17in their cases 18, the springs being hand or by a cranked lever, 10, andweightll i working the charging-piston.

burning flame, 15, which explodes the gases and propels the main piston,its rod crosshead 16 compressing the steel volute or other connected tothe cross-head by rods 19. While the main piston is thus doing work onthe springs the pump-bucket is displacing the fluid from one side of itto the other through the valve 8. The springs now draw the main pistonand bucket back again, and force the fluid. through the outlet-valve 7and recharge the pump through inlet-valve 6. Holes 20 allow the air topass in and out of front end of cylinder; but when main piston passesthem it cushions air between it and cylinder-cover. I alsoprovideindia-rubber bufl'ers 21 to cushion the back-stroke of main piston or anaircushion, formed bya short cylinder, 22, on main cylinder-cover, intowhich goes a piston, 23, and cushions on the air in it. The'exhaustpasses through a lift-valve, 24, as the pistons come together, and isthen expelled through the exhaust-port 13 in the backward stroke of thecharging-piston. When used as a rampump, Fig. E, the plunger 25 isattached to the main piston-rod, which, on its outstroke, drives theplunger into the casing and the liquid out through valve 26 into theaccumulator or highlift-pipe, as in ordinary ram-pumps. 27 issuction-valve.

To prevent sudden shocks from the quick motion I use a ram,-28, loadedby volute or other springs 29 between the pump and the accumulator. I

The charging-piston 9 maybe worked by on its out or charging and firingstroke, and on its inward by a spring and tube, 30, extended and held ona catch, 31, by the motion of the main-piston cross-head 16 acting 011the bent lever 32. When the charging-piston completes its inward strokeit releases the catch 31 from the tube and spring by arod, 33, attachedto the lever 10, and this allows the weight 11 to draw thecharging-piston out and the spring tube and lever 32 back again; or theweight 11 and lever 10 may be lifted by a small piston worked in acylinder, 34, liig. F, on its upstroke by the liquid from theaccumulator or cistern, an ordinary admission and escape valve,35,'being used, and moved up or down by the lever 10 by projections onthe escape-valve rod at 36. When the accumulator is full it slackens awire, 37, and drops the stop 38 under thelever l0 and arrests the motionof the pump.

Figs. 0 and I) show another method of A fly-wheel, 39, fixed on a shaft,40, having a disk-crank, 41, moves a connecting rod, 42, and chargingpiston androd 9. The fly-wheel can he kept in motion by hand or by a Veccentric frictiongripper, 43, working in a-V-nick on the rim of thecrank-disk. When the main piston is propelled out it moves with it aconnecting-rod, 44, and-lever 45, on which the gripper moves. Thegripper in the outstroke slides round thedisk, but by its eccentricitygrips the disk in the instroke and gives motion to the disk andfly-wheel. By detaching the pump this last arrangement may be used as anordinary motor for giving motion to anything else. At 14 and 15, Fig.(J, is the flame and firing-hole in the cylinders side; but sometimes Iput the firing-hole in the tubular portway from the gas and air feedvalve12, as at 45. The standing flame 15 is prevented from entering thefiring-hole by a plate, 46, until the chargingpiston is at the back ofits stroke, when a stop, 47, on the connecting-rod 42 moves the plate 46away and allows the flame to go over and into the firing-hole, as betterseen in Fig. I. At the explosion a small valve, 48, closes thefiring-hole; or the firing-hole may be closed as at Fig. J. 49 is asmall cylinder and piston. 50 is the firing-hole in main cylinder orportway; 51, a sliding plate fixed to small pistonrod. When the flame 15explodes the gases in the main cylinder the pressure communicatesthrough the port 52 under the small piston and drives it out, and theplate 51 closes the firing-hole 50. A spring, 53, pushes the Y pistonback.

Figs. G and H are views of the feed-valve, 54 being the gas entrance and55 the air-way, the valve 12 moving on a pin, 56, and closing gas andair at same time. The feed-valve 12 may be closed just before explosionby a pin, 57, on conneoting-rod'42 moving a hinged lever, 58. The energyof the explosion may be absorbed by pistons 59,attached to the crossheadand Working in the spring-cases 18 to form a vacuum instead of springs.is an outward sniffing valve for forcing out any air leakage.

Figs. K and L show the application to forging-hammers. 61 is the hammeron end of piston-rod; 62, the anvil. The explosion-cylinder is the sameas in the pump, the charging-piston being worked by the hand-wheel 39,the springs in cases 18 just being sufficient to raise the hammer to thetop.

I claim- 1. The combination,-with the cylinder in which the main pistonworks, provided with a charging-valve andigniting-orifice, of acharging-piston in the rear of the main piston, and means for operatingthe said charging-piston, substantially as hereinshown and described.

2. The combination, with a cylinder provided with a charging-valve andigniting-orifice, and the main piston, of a spring for retracting thesaid main piston, a charging-piston in .the rear of the main piston, andmeans for operatiug the said charging-piston, substantially as hereinshown and described.

3. The combination, with the cylinder 1, provided with thecharging-valve 12, the exhaust-port 13, the igniting-orifice 14, and thepiston 2, of the charging-piston 9, provided with valve 24, and meansfor operating said piston, substantially as herein shown and described.Y

4. The combination, with the cylinder 1 and 278,600 l l r 3 the piston2, having the cross-head 16 on its pistonrod, of the charging-piston 9,the weightt ed lever10, the spring and tube 30, catch 31, red 33, andbent lever 32, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. Thecombinatiomwith the cylinderl, having a firing-orifice, 50, andport 52, of the cylinder 49, containing apiston, the slide 51,con-

nected to the piston-rod, and the spring 53 on the upper end of thepiston-rod, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination, with the cylinder 1,

provided with the pivoted inlet valve 12, of the connecting-rod 42,provided with the pin 57 and the lever 58, substantially as herein shownand described.

The above specification signed by me this 18th day of September, 1882.

JAMES ROBSON. [L. 8.]

